Smoothie DietYummo!

A smoothie diet is both delicious and healthy. They are a
great way to quickly, easily consume a bulk load of nutrients. With the current
‘cleanse culture’ leading the fashion runway at present, these drinks are
proving to be the leader of the pack.

The previous notion that our digestive systems need a break from fibre has been dismissed and the actual digestive and overall health benefits are once again back in vogue.

This current trend has also seen an explosion of available healthful additives - everything from goji berry’s, noni fruit, coconut, hemp, flaxseed oils, protein, fibre powders, chai seeds to probiotic cultures and an alphabet of vitamin and mineral supplements.

At the moment it is very fashionable to ‘go green’ – when
it comes to diet this means blending green leafy salad vegetables into a drink
- handy if you are over the crunch of lettuce.

They were intended as a short term detox but recently a
diet craze inspired by an American man’s stunning weight loss journey has
brought this craze to the fore.

The key to a balanced diet is to maximise the nutrient
content while minimising the calories consumed. Naturally some ingredients are going
to contain more calories than others and being aware of these is
essential. In the past we have seen
‘meal replacement shakes’ come and go however many of these programs have since
been remarketed to jump aboard this current health trend.

In moderation a diet that includes some of these homemade
drinks is a great way to increase your fruit or vegetable intake while lowering
your overall calorie consumption. If combined with regular physical exercise
this can be a great way to shift some stubborn kilos and healthily manage
weight.

If considering this diet there are a few basic points you
should think about including how often and how much you intend to consume and whether
you are looking to enhance your existing diet or to replace meals?

The 30 day green challenge aims to include green smoothies
into a regular diet plan (meaning reduced calorie, low saturated fat, low sugar
and primarily whole food diet). However before embarking on such a green
journey consider the fact that the typical vegetables included are kale,
spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, celery and broccoli or what are otherwise
known as cruciferous vegetables.

Too much raw green goodness can actually be a bad thing.
Many green vegetables are intended to be cooked for a very good reason. Choose
colourful fruits for their antioxidant effects keeping in mind fructose is
still a sugar and add supplements sparingly.